The Pumpkin Runner... FIAR Study

Have you read the Pumpkin runner? What a GREAT story! We really enjoyed this book. I realized after I planned on "rowing" the book that I didn't have level 4 Teachers guide to FIAR! =( whoops. So, we winged it. =) Here are some of the things we have been up to the past few weeks during this AMAZING fall we are having......

Gramma gave the kids a pumpkin plant this summer. We were able to watch it grow, and care for it.. and then finally the day came to pick their pumpkin! They were so excited!

                     Of all the fun things we did with it.... we FORGOT to weigh it!!!! =( 

We also went on our first homeschool group field trip this  year to the local pumpkin farm...
                                                BOTH my kinders picked a green pumpkin... =)

Since I am in charge of the field trips for our local group, I decided to bring some learnin to our day! =)
Here we had a table set up with some pumpkin facts, a pumpkin life cycle set, and some differant types of pumpkins and gourds.

I also brought a few types of foods that many may have never thought to try made of pumpkin!

Made from a local Farm:

* Pumpkin Syrup

*Pumpkin Jelly

*chocolate covered pumpkin seeds

*Shelled pumpkin seeds

*regular Pumpkin seeds

Hardly an of the  20 kinders had ever tried any of them! So this was a great lesson, and some moms got some new inspiration for snack time! =)

I also brought a pumpkin spice room spray for them to smell....

                Next we played the Game Sink or Float with the largest pumpkin we had at the farm.

I gave each kinder a laminated pumpkin (so I can use it next year)  to stick to my little wall chart (cardboard box), and it was a 50/50 Sink or Float moment..... ALL ages love this game! This tub was later used at the end of our trip to wash their pumpkins before going home... kept alot of mama's happy with a clean trunk! =)

Here is KT counting all the seeds from the pumpkin we grew...

While Daddy was home visiting, we went to our favorite Pumpkin Festival. We always have a great time there! It has become one of our traditions. We have been going since my son was only 7 months! =)

                                             The whole fam! And our new Dog Brinkley!

                                                JT with his choice of Gourd to bring home!

We also made some adorable little felt pumpkins. KT is learning to hand sew, and this was a great craft for them. We cut out shapes by tracing a pattern...  The felt was pretty stiff, so it made it easier on tiny hands....

                                         And of course some coloring fun & worksheet fun!

.....And the CUTEST Snacks!!!

                                                      Is that enough about pumpkins? =)



                                      We also spent some time learning about Australia.

                     The kinders also checked out our world map from Sidney to Melbourne. They colored the Flag, and we read some fun Australian Poems, and played with our boomerang...

                            

               We did our lapbook and studied the differant animals that live in this amazing country. There was so much MORE I wanted to do with the kinders, we will have to visit this story again next year!                                                           

 Thanks for visiting!

Resources:

Homeschoolshare:

Ausie Pumpkin Patch

Around the world coloring book- for Australia map by Dover

You tube Video of the REAL pumpkin runner

You tube videos on Australian Animals

Now, we are getting ready for our mini Thanksgiving Unit Study in a DAY with some friends!

Have a wonderful week!